Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tragedy Level: 😭😭😭

*Before we get into this review, here are some trigger warnings to keep in mind before reading this novel: Brutal Murders of Children (especially in the first few chapters), Violence and Rape.*

Clytemnestra’s Bind by Susan C. Wilson is a *Greek Tragedy* in every sense of the phrase. The novel centres on Queen Clytemnestra of Mycenae. In the Greek myths, she is Helen of Troy’s twin sister and is known for killing her husband Agamemnon upon his return from the Trojan War. This was after he had sacrificed their eldest daughter, Iphigenia to the Gods. The novel details her life long before Iphigenia’s death.

The book is split into three parts. Part 1 starts with the invasion of her kingdom and having her first husband and child brutally taken from her. Part 2 covers her subsequent marriage to Agamemnon, her relationship with her three eldest children; Iphigenia, Electra, Orestes. Part 3 covers the crux of Clytemnestra’s notoriety in the Greek myths as she plots Agamemnon’s demise after Iphigenia is sacrificed.

Susan paints a beautifully tragic portrait of Clytemnestra and her life. I kept thinking how much can one woman take before she completely snaps. Susan fully understands the genre she is working with and completely delivers. I could feel our heroine’s pain at every single turn. I had to put the book down several times to sit with it and let the devastation wash over me. Yet I appreciate how the author had done it. It was unflinching and tragic without being too gratuitous. The novel provides an excellent example of female rage that showcases how Clytemnestra gets to the point of murdering Agamemnon.

I also adored how well developed Clytemnestra is and the insights we get from her point of view. So much of her life happens to her rather than her being the driving force of it. It is admirable to see how she still pushes through and tries her best to do right by her children after having lost her first family. Her relationships with everyone from her husband to his brothers, Menelaus and Aegisthus, her sister Helen to her children are all so unique and well written. The way she interacts with everyone is just so interesting to read and was a brilliant exploration into her character.

On its own, the novel is a tragic tale of a Queen who had gone through the most unimaginable horrors one can go through, losing most of the people she had loved and having her agency taken away from her. That is what makes her taking control of her life towards the end so satisfying.

As a reiteration of an old myth, Susan C. Wilson does an excellent job of building upon the lore. The hints and foreshadowing strategically placed all throughout the story as we know what is to come was exhilarating to read with a sense of dread knowing the tragedy looming amongst the characters.

All in all, I would recommend this book for anyone looking to read a well written tragedy that covers grief in a meaningful manner and illustrates the female rage in all its glory. For Greek mythology lovers, especially those who appreciate a good Greek Tragedy, this one was definitely made for us. Picking up on the foreshadowing felt like a fun session of ‘Connect the Dots’. That being said, once again I warn everyone to tread carefully as the book has depictions of rape, violence and brutal murders. Read safely and enjoy this book everyone!

Thank you to Neem Tree Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Spartan princess Clytemnestra marries young Tantalus, heir to the Mycenaean throne, and together they have a baby son called Iphitus. But the house of Atreus is known for blood feuds and when her husband and child are taken from her, she has to marry their murderer Agamemnon.

How many books can you devote to one woman? I haven't yet had time to read Casati's recent novel about Clytemnestra, but she was one of the main characters in Saint's Elektra, in Toibin's House of names and in Heywood's Daughters of Sparta. She's also one of many characters in Barker's The silence of the girls and Haynes' A thousand ships. Even in Ithaca, which is about her cousin Penelope, she's an important character who steals the stage. Clytemnestra is hot, so can Wilson's debut novel really bring something new to her character?

As it turns out, the answer to that question is yes. For instance, there's no focus on her family and Helen, rather the book opens with her first marriage to Tantalus, a cousin of Agamemnon and Menelaus. A great personal drama occurs and Clytemnestra's character is so shaped by it that you get an insight into her feelings throughout the book. And it isn't easy to do that with this character. This is one of the first few times that we get to see a vulnerable woman in her, that we don't see a queen who's born for that task. You see her becoming that queen because of everything that happens to her.

Wilson not only provides a different interpretation of this woman, but also about the entire house of Atreus, the role of Aegistus and the children of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. But still based on the well-known myth. She adds a few extra things to the story. I found the characterization of the children perhaps the biggest weakness: Iphigenia is so perfect and Elektra her total opposite that as a reader you are pushed in a certain direction.

But Wilson writes smoothly and makes you long for more. 'Clytemnestra's bind' stops suddenly, but you don't need to worry about that. This is the first part in a series about the House of Atreus. I'm already looking forward to the next part. And so another new author sets her foot next to those big names I've mentioned before.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

An engaging, compelling and eye opening take on one of the Greek Myths that we are all most familiar with - but this is not like any story you think you know. A fantastic perspective that will show you so much more about this story, but please check trigger warnings before you read it

I'll start by saying that if you are sensitive to the subject of rape, maybe skip this book. It's a common theme in Greek mythology so it isn't unexpected but the way it is written it could be triggering for many.

I did go into this book knowing that it was the first in a series so I knew it wasn't going to be the complete story of Clytemnestra. I do think it ended in a good spot where if one doesn't want to or doesn't know her story, you could only read the first book and still have a great story. However, if you're like me and know her story and want to finish it all the way to the end, you'll be impatiently waiting the next book. I do wonder how long of a series it can be stretched out into though... I personally feel like one more book would complete it if it stays following Clytemnestra but if the author decides to use another character to follow while telling the story, who knows. Doing it as a series though, allows the author to really add in in depth details and make the story as heart wrenching and intense as possible, more so than other books. A collection of Greek myths will only give you the basic overview leaving you to fill in details on your own or interpret the feelings of the characters on their own. A single book can go into more detail, but still only allows a certain amount of the details/feelings to be described. This book, by contrast, can spend a lot of time on Clytemnestra's grieving process after losing her first husband and son and really allows the reader to feel for her and her predicament, where other books may only give a surface idea of her suffering.

I enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to the next installment. I would recommend for anyone who loves mythology retellings and is not triggered by talk of rape and rape scenes.

Seeing a new Greek mythology retelling on NetGalley made me put in a request instantly. I don't think I've even read the blub all that much. I'd heard of Clytemnestra in the sense that I knew she was Helen's sister (whose capture was the instigation of the Trojan War) and her daughter was sacrificed, but other than that not so much.

It was a captivating read, with a lot of the usual drama and misery I was hoping for. Giving Clytemnestra extra backstory with the exploration of her marriage before Agamemnon (what she is most known for), and the youth and upbringing of her children with Agamemnon, Clytemnestra's actions (which will be told in the sequel I assume) are given much more context and makes the tale altogether much more a tragedy.

Though I did not love Clytemnestra per se, I loved the story as a whole and the retelling of Susan C. Wilson. Will definitely keep my eye out for the next installment of the series!

Clytemnestra is usually only a side role when writers focus on the beauty of Helen of Sparta which invites scandal and tragedy. In this book, Clytemnestra can appear as the main focus without minimizing Helen's portion. That's the first point that I really like about this book.

I notice slighly different version of this background of Clytemnestra with other book but I tried to trust the author with the flow. The writing is poetic and melancholy. The plot actually not offer something new, it focus more on Clytemnestra's spiritual growth and children expecially Elektra.
Clytemnestra was unfortunate queen with strong will and big patience with her grudge against her war hero husband. The author is good at processing emotions and the narrative is very comfortable to follow.

Thank you Netgalley and Neem Tree Press for provided me with this copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you know me you will know that House Atreus and especially Clytemnestra is one of my favourites in the ancient Greek world and I was so happy when I got approved for the NetGalley ARC!
In Clytemnestra's Bind we see Clytemnestra on the side of Agamemnon but also in her earlier years together with Tantalus, which I really enjoyed. Her story was easy to follow, showing her grief, the love for her children and especially all the trauma that leads to her revengeful actions later on in her life.
The pacing is very slow and some parts dragged on a little too much for my liking. I also was sometimes thrown off by the writing and wording. I was not as immersed into the world as I was in some other authors' works.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I recommend it to everyone who would like to see another take on Clytemnestra's myth.

Thank you to Susan C. Wilson, Neem Tree Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange to my honest opinion.

This is not a book for me.

I know Clytemnestra's story too well, and love Claire North's Songs of Penelope too much, for a fairly straightforward retelling of her story to really grab me any more. I am moving towards preferring innovation in my mythology-based novels, rather than a novel like this that yes, gives Clytemnestra much more personality than the Greek originals, but doesn't do much with the narrative itself.

I'm also not a huge fan of the fairly formal, almost stilted language. Again, this is definitely a personal preference. For readers who haven't read a lot of variations of the Atreides, I imagine this will be a really great read.

What a fantastic book! Susan Wilson covers the many tragedies of Clytemnestra's life with a renowned sense of humanity, really bringing the character -- and those around her -- to life. Those familiar with her story will know of the sorrows in store for her, but they are no less poignant for that knowledge. In all, an incredible book -- I almost wish it was longer!

Clytemnestra is one of my favourite mythological figures and I was very happy to receive an arc of this novel, which I truly, greatly enjoyed.

The author uses a lesser known myth about Clytemnestra, the one where she was first the wife of Tantalus, and Agamemnon killed her husband and son before taking her for his bride. It is a very tragic story and the author portrayed it with great empathy. From the very beginning I was invested in Clytemnestra and I suffered with and for her. She had to endure a lot during the book, and I always admired her resilience, her strenght and her devotion to her children. Her relationship with Iphigenia was heartwarming and, towards the ending, I was really dreading what was going to happen. Her relationships with Electra and Orestes, even if difficult, were also interesting and complex.

I also really liked her relationship with Aegisthus. The connection between them was believable and well portrayed, and I rooted for them right from the start. At the same time, I loved how Clytemnestra always put her children before her own desires, and how she resisted her attraction for Aegisthus because she didn't want to harm them.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading the sequel. I can't wait to read about Clytemnestra's revenge.

Clytemnestra was married with a new baby when Agamemnon to the throne of Mycenae, killing her family in the process. Next he marries her and forces her into an unhappy marriage.

This book based on Greek history gives an idea of her life and her struggles to keep her children safe. Good to have her perspective on these times and how much the Gods are respected and influence peoples lives and decisions.

Well written and very enjoyable read.

I'm conflicted on this one. I feel like it's trying to tell Clytemnestra's story in a different way than I've seen it done in the past. Focusing more on her journey as a mother, rather than a sister or wife, but I struggled a bit with the slow pacing. I also think this book requires more background knowledge of Greek mythology and customs than the average retelling. I did enjoy some of the framing devises utilized (i.e., ceremonial practices and peasant petitioners reflecting the story as it goes along). I will likely continue on with the series.

I couldn’t tell you how many Clytemnestras, Agamemnons, Menelaus-es and Odysseus-es I have read by now, and none of them are quite how I would interpret the character, and yet I still believe deeply in each and every iteration.

Clytemnestra is such a well known story, and yet Wilson’s version is quite unlike anything I have read before. My immediate reaction is that it’s raw. It’s emotive. It is 110% grounded in the Mycenaean culture and context, and the grittiness and intensity of everything from the narrative descriptions to the characters’ language is so evocative and all consuming. Think Mary Renault.

The novel focuses on the Clytemnestra myth with a strong, fierce lens of motherhood - which is not really my kind of thing. But the authenticity of the writing is such that I was still absorbed. If you’re used to modern mythology retellings, you might be surprised by the religious / ritualistic language which, rather than inserting Athena or Hera etc., represents these deities and rites as they were in their early, pre-Homer form.

Overall, the novel is gripping, and Wilson has made a bold statement by grounding Clytemnestra’s story in its authentic, no-frills and genuine context. An intense read, but an incredibly important one.

(Thank you so much to NeemTreePress and NetGalley for sending me this ARC!)

Im so disappointed I didn't like this more!

I saw greek retteling and I immediately rushed to request it from netgalley, but sadly this one seems to not have worked for me.

This is a very character driven book, with the main character Clytemnestra surviving hardships in ancient Greece after the death of her husband and newborn son.

Sadly everything from the writing style (too simplistic to suit the story and I found the excessive amount of swear words to be rather off putting considering the setting of the story) and the characters themselves ( very inconsistent especially in the case of Clytemnestra) simply did not allow me to enjoy the book.

Can't really say I recommend this one.

I am a big fan of Greek mythology and especially the story of Clytemnestra. I also appreciate the version used here being the one where she had a first husband and child. The author made some choices throughout the story that are different than the typical versions we get and some of the choices I was okay with and some didn’t feel right to me as they didn’t always feel like the author knew all the source material and made a calculated change but instead like maybe they werent familiar with the material and went rogue.
That being said I still enjoyed the story, the complexities of her relationship with her children were well executed here. her relationship with Aegisthus in this version I really enjoyed.

I think if you go into this with a mindset of it being “inspired by” and less of a true retelling it sits better overall.
Also I fully understand that mythology is by nature constantly changing and has variations. I just don’t feel as though the changes made for this version enriched the story overall.

This Clytemnestra was more timid and less tactical and patient about revenge which has always been my absolute favorite thing about her

A brutal retelling of Clytemnestra's story, Clytemnestra's Bind explores the history and motivations that brought this queen to plot the murder of Agamemnon, Tragedy after tragedy, this book leaves little to the imagination. Yet it succeeds in portraying the humanity of a woman whose world has been shattered too many times.

Well researched and well written, I would recommend it if you like Greek mythology retellings, although I would make sure you read the trigger warning as the themes could be unsettling for some people.

Thank you Neem Tree Press and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Queen Clytemnestra, happily married to Tantalus and with a newborn son, is devastated when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, retakes the throne, kills her husband and son, then forces her to marry him. She has three children by Agamemnon, two daughters (Iphigenia and Electra) and a son, Orestes. She vows to protect the children born from her new husband and hides her earlier marriage. When Agamemnon sacrifices Iphigenia to Athena to assure prevailing winds to speed him to his invasion of Troy, he sets in motion his own downfall.

I’ve read multiple versions of Clytemnestra’s story and wondered if this one would show me new insights. This novel begins with her first marriage to King Tantalus rather than with the murder of her daughter Iphigenia by Agamemnon, thus providing the background for her trauma of her marriage to a child-murderer, her relationship with her children, and ultimately her revenge.

I often compare Greek myth retellings to my all-time favorites, Madeline Miller’s Circe and The Song of Achilles. Clytemnestra’s Bind is a lyrical, poetic retelling of the story of the House of Atreus, its prose majestic and in keeping with the scope of the myths themselves. Susan C. Wilson truly deserves a place next to Miller with this magnificent retelling.

This novel’s lyrical style disguises the brutalities that underlie the story - or rather, stories - that are told of Clytemnestra. While other versions depict narratives about her, Clytemnestra’s Bind centres her - and offers us her story in her imagined voice. This is the primary aspect I liked about this book. Secondly, if this novel set out to help us understand why Clytemnestra does what she did - kill her “husband” - it achieves it very well! The narrative captures C’s character development, and we understand where her rage comes from, as we reach the end. The “historical” end is to come in a sequel, no doubt, but those who know how the story ends will jot only see it coming from a mile away, but even understand that it must be so, as this novel concludes.

I’ve read versions of Clytemnestra before and she is always depicted slightly differently but this was my favourite. You could feel the pain and anguish for each terrible thing done to her. You also understand her actions more in this one, as is typical in Greek mythology, women tend to be villainized but not this time. The writing was beautiful and I cannot wait for more by this author.

"Clytemnestra's Bind is a retelling of the Greek myth of Clytemnestra, told from the perspective of the titular character.

In Greek mythology, Clytemnestra is the wife of King Agamemnon and is infamous for her role in his murder. However, in "Clytemnestra's Bind," Wilson gives a voice to the often vilified character, exploring her motivations, her relationships with the other characters, and the complex political and social context in which she lived.

The novel is set during the Trojan War and follows Clytemnestra as she navigates her relationship with Agamemnon, her love for her children, and her political ambitions. As the war progresses and tensions rise, Clytemnestra becomes increasingly conflicted and torn between her loyalty to her family and her desire for power and revenge.

Wilson's writing is rich and vivid, transporting the reader to ancient Greece and immersing them in the world of the myth. The novel also explores themes such as gender, power, and the impact of violence on individuals and society.

Overall, "Clytemnestra's Bind" is a compelling and thought-provoking retelling of a classic myth, offering a fresh perspective on a well-known character. It is recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction, mythology, and stories that challenge traditional narratives.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.